For how long have I known? (For a long time now)
by swanqueen-vauseman
Summary: Regina and Emma are two women in love with each other, but neither of them thinks it is possible for the other to actually love them back. They just need a little push in the right direction for them to get their happy ending.
**New one-shot! Along with my deepest apologies for not having updated my other stories *bows her head in shame*. But worry not my dear followers! By the end of the week, you'll have the new chapter of "I'll aways love you." I hope you liked this little story I wrote.**

 **All mistaked are mine.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to OUAT.**

 **On with the show.**

* * *

There are moments in life that you want to remember or the rest of your life. It's the moments that you can pinpoint in the vast timeline of your life, it's the moments that make you who you are; it's the moments that often you don't know they are these moments, but until days, months or even years later when someone asks you to pinpoint a moment of your life.

For example, people tend to ask when someone realized you've fallen in love with the one you want to spend the rest of your live with. Normally, a person wouldn't be able to tell you, they would respond with things such as 'I don't know' or 'Somewhere along the way'; but there are persons that can pinpoint the exact moment they realized they were in love with someone. And Emma Swan, for better or for worse, was one of those people.

Emma was enjoying Sunday lunch with her mother and her baby brother. She still couldn't say his name without grimacing or wincing just at the memory the name 'Neal' brought to her. Her mom was talking about something; exactly about what, Emma had no idea.

Sitting in one of the booths at the back of the diner gave her the possibility to look at everyone and everything that was happening and because of that, she had zoned out of the one-sided conversation that her mother was currently having and stared at the one woman that she had happened to have fallen in love with, who was sitting in one of the tables near the front door.

Of course, it was just Emma's luck that said woman was no other than Regina Mills. Because there was no way that the Savior had fallen for the former Evil Queen? Yeah, I guess you're wrong and Emma prayed with all her heart that these feelings would go away because in what universe would Regina freaking Mills fall in love with Emma Swan?

"For how long?" Emma was pulled out of her thoughts by the question her mother had asked.

"What?" Emma said, just a little bit confused and praying that her mother hadn't caught her staring at Regina.

"For how long?" Mary Margaret repeated again with a grin on her face. She knew the look on her daughter's face and that was one of love.

"Wha-What do you mean?" Emma asked innocently.

"Don't try to play innocent with me. I've seen the way you look at Regina so will you answer my question please?" Mary Margaret answered with a knowing smirk.

"Umm…" Emma flushed bright red. "A year ago, when we were at the town line and Regina gave to Henry and me those beautiful memories of me raising him. I guess I realized a little too late." Emma replied as she bowed her head, knowing that there was no use to try to get her mother off her back. And also knowing that the chances of ever being with Regina were practically non-existent.

"Love's never too late. What I don't understand is why haven't you told her?" Mary Margaret asked, seriously confused of why her daughter hadn't acted on those feelings.

"Really? You know that I'm in love with Regina, former Evil Queen, your former enemy and the first thing you wonder is WHY I haven't told her?" Emma said with a frown on her face. She had expected some sort of fighting against her being love with Regina.

"Oh sweetheart, the only thing I want is for you to be happy and, believe it or not, I also want Regina to find her happy ending. And if Regina makes you happy and Regina finds her happy ending with you and Henry, then so be it." Mary Margaret explained with a soft smile.

"Yeah, except there's a problem with that. Regina would never, not even in a hundred years be with me." Emma said with a sorrowful expression.

Mary Margaret was this close to roll her eyes, but she knew the gesture wouldn't be appreciated. She couldn't understand how Emma didn't notice the way Regina would look at her when her daughter entered a room, or the spark of hope in her eyes she hadn't since Regina was the young woman that had rescued her from a frantic horse.

"And why would you think that?" Mary Margaret inquired.

Emma thought for a long moment and she couldn't tell Mary Margaret that the real reason of why Regina would never be with her was because she would never be enough for Regina, Regina could definitely do better than her and she knew that Regina would eventually realize that she could do much better and would leave her. Everyone leaves or everyone throws her away; Emma would never be enough and much less for Regina.

"I just… I just know." Emma said, hoping that her mother would leave the subject alone. "Now, can we please change the subject?"

Mary Margaret courtly nod with a small smile. She would have to have a serious talk with Regina, because both of them were literally too dense for their own good. Neither of them knew what the other felt and they were too afraid to do something about it.

* * *

At the other side of the diner, Regina was having lunch with Henry and while she tried to put attention to what Henry was telling her about the new Wolverine comic, she really wasn't listening because she was busy stealing glances of a certain blonde woman without being caught.

However, Henry was watching her closely and saw that her mom was stealing glances at Emma. He knew about how his both mothers were deeply in love with each other but neither had the courage to act upon that feeling. Guess they just needed a little push in the right direction, didn't they?

"When?" Henry asked trying to bite his knowing smirk.

That pulled Regina out of her thoughts, returning her gaze to her son. "What do you mean?" Regina said.

"Since when have you been in love with Emma?" Henry said, while sipping his cocoa.

"I don't know what you're talking about Henry." Regina replied, trying to get off the hook but knowing her son that would not happen.

"Sure you don't mom." Henry said sarcastically. "Just so you know, I wouldn't be against the idea of you dating Emma." Henry added and Regina almost choked on her black coffee.

There was no point on continuing to play the innocent; besides, she had promised him that she wouldn't lie to him anymore.

"How did you know?" Regina asked with a baffled expression. She was being as subtle as anything, or was she?

"Please mom, you're as subtle as brick wall. You keep stealing glances every now and then, you always give her that smile like she's everything and there's a spark in your eyes every time you talk about her." Henry replied.

Regina's eyes opened comically, was she really not that subtle? "What I don't understand, is why you won't ask her out." Henry said after her mom just kept staring back at him.

"Oh Henry, it's a little bit more complicated than that. And besides, Emma would never say yes to date with me." Regina replied and for the first time in her life, she regretted whatever she had done when she was the Evil Queen. Maybe if she hadn't tortured hundreds Emma would go out with her, maybe if she hadn't cured everyone Emma would have grown up with her parents and there would be a reason less why Emma wouldn't go out with her.

"Mom, you know that you're not the Evil queen anymore, don't you?" Henry asked, knowing why his mother thought that Emma wouldn't go out with her. "You were the one that broke Pan's curse and everyone knows that. Emma knows that, so I say that you go over there and ask her on a date." Henry resolutely said. Regina didn't say or do anything, she just kept stealing glances.

Regina looked one more time over where Emma was sitting with Mary Margaret. Just then, Emma's eyes rose and locked up with the hazel eyes at the other side of the diner. Regina immediately averted her gaze and a deep blush covered her face, as well as Emma's as she looked anywhere but where Regina was sitting, cursing herself for having been caught staring.

At the same time, Mary Margaret and Henry rolled her eyes because both women were totally attracted to each other, some may argue that they were already in love and neither of them realized the feelings of the other woman. Both women needed to realize that their feelings were being reciprocated, they needed to do that on their own but maybe Mary Margaret and Henry would have to give them a little push.

* * *

After lunch, everyone returned to their usual business which meant that Emma went to the Sheriff station to procrastinate in order to not do the paperwork Regina had asked while Regina returned to the Mayor's office. However, Mary Margaret went to Regina's office to try to convince to give the first step.

She got to the Mayor's office and went to ask Regina's secretary.

"Hi Laura, is the Mayor in there?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Hello Mary Margaret, yes she is. You can go in there." Laura replied and Mary Margaret walked to the door leading to the office.

"Regina?" Mary Margaret said when she stepped in. Regina was looking at some kind of paperwork; when the woman with the pixy hair talked, Regina lifted her head to see who had come in.

"Mary Margaret, to what I owe this visit?" Regina said but it lacked the hostility that was once characteristic of Mayor Mills. Since they had returned to and from the Enchanted Forest, Mary Margaret had formed some sort of friendship and while certainly it wasn't the most common one, it worked for them.

"I just wanted to ask you, when are you going to ask Emma on a date?" Mary Margaret said as if it was just the usual type of question you would ask on a random day. She had to bit the inside of her cheeks in order to avoid that her mouth would form a grin. Not everyday you had the chance to mess up with Regina Mills and live to tell it.

Regina stopped moving, she looked practically like a statue while she tried to process the question that she had been asked. The room felt heavy with the silence that was reigning upon it.

"I beg your pardon?" Regina asked after a few minutes of complete silence.

"I asked when are you going to ask my daughter on a date?" Mary Margaret repeated and was actually enjoying this moment.

"Wh-what? How did you know?" Regina stammered.

"You're an intelligent and talented woman but both my daughter and you are so dense for your own good. You don't notice the way Emma looks at you, as if you were everything that mattered in the world and she doesn't notice the way you look at her, as if she was the most precious thing in the world." Mary Margaret started explaining. "So I ask again, when are you going to ask her on a date?" Mary Margaret added.

Regina gave what sounded like a defeated sigh. "Not going to happen, there's no way that what you're telling me is actually true. Emma would never go on a date with me, in what world the Savior would even consider have a relationship with the Evil Queen?" Regina gave a little shake of her head, as if she knew that even thinking of the possibility of that happening was impossible.

Mary Margaret would have rolled her eyes, one more time in less than four hours, but she could see the way Regina didn't believe she would ever be enough and that the concept of someone loving her for who she is, was an unknown one and one that would never happen, so why bother with having hope?

"Just give it a thought okay? This is your chance of having a happy ending, please don't throw it away before it even is something." Mary Margaret pleaded with her and moved to exit the office, hoping that her little talk with Regina would prompt her to take a first step into the beautiful relationship her daughter and the former Queen could have.

Regina was left to her own devices, her mind going crazy with the possibility that maybe Emma would want to go out with her. _Damn it, Mary Margaret_ Regina thought for herself and groaned in last thing she needed was hope and that was exactly what Mary Margaret had made her have. She didn't want to have hope because then, the heartbreak would be almost unbearable.

But what if… Regina got up from her seat, told her secretary to cancel the rest of her meetings for the day, got her purse and with all the courage she could muster, set her way to the Sheriff's station.

* * *

Emma was having a quite boring day at the Sheriff's station after her lunch with Mary Margaret. Truly, she was just waiting for Archie's call telling her that Pongo had run away one more time. Other than that, she was just picking her eyes out of boredom.

Just then, she heard the distinctive sound of heels of the brunette she had fallen in love with; though she was probably here regarding something about the paperwork she hadn't delivered or something like that. But a girl could dream.

She turned on her chair to see what Regina could be doing down there, but what she saw was the last thing she ever expected to see. Right at the entrance of her little office, was Regina standing with a bouquet of white flowers with pink on the petals and laced with a white ribbon. She also noticed the way Regina seemed more nervous than ever.

"Hi Emma." Regina greeted her. She offered her the flowers she had brought and now, she was at a loss of words. She didn't know where to start without making a fool out of herself.

"Hi Regina, what's with the flowers?" Emma said curiously while accepting the flowers.

"They are because… Well, I wanted to…" Regina gave a defeated sigh; this had been a better plan an hour ago. Emma for her part, was pretty amazed at seeing this new side of Regina, the one that stumbled upon her words and resembled what she thought would have been the once innocent girl.

Regina took a deep breath before asking. "Would you like to go on a date with me?" Regina rapidly said, as if slowing down would make her not say it.

Emma opened and closed her mouth and if Regina wasn't nervous as hell, she would have found it endearing; but the problem was that she was more than nervous and Emma only opening and closing her mouth was not helping.

Emma just stared at the brunette while asking herself if this was real, if this was really happening, if Regina was actually asking her on a date? Maybe she had heard wrong, yeah that must be it. She wanted to say something but her mouth stopped working and no sound would come out of it.

After a few moments of silence, that felt more that just the couple of minutes than it actually was, Emma was finally able to somewhat form a sentence, though it was more like single words in an attempt of forming a phrase.

"You… I… date… really?" Emma stuttered and mentally, slapped herself because just when she needed words to be on her side, they had decided that it was better to just blurt out without any sense.

Regina misunderstood the last word as if Emma was saying that how could she have though that Emma would accept going on a date with Regina. Regina couldn't say she blamed her; the brunette had somehow destroyed her childhood and the opportunity to grow up with her parents in a loving environment, instead she had been bouncing from foster home to foster home. Not to mention the attempts to kill her, and the fact that she treated the blonde in a horrible way the first time she came to Storybrooke.

Regina bowed her head and tried to force the tears that were forming in her eyes to back down; she had been right, why would Emma in her right mind state would ever go on a date with her? Mary Margaret had given her hope and now, she was suffering the consequences.

"I'm sorry Emma. I completely understand, I'll just go now." Regina said barely above a whisper; she turned to leave and couldn't avoid a single tear to fall, quickly wiping it away. Why had she been so stupid to believe that there was a real chance for her to be happy? Not only that, now she had probably ruined the one relationship in which there had been no judgment at all. They were just Emma and Regina; no Savior and Evil Queen, no Mayor and Sheriff, just two women trying to make their way through life.

"Regina, wait!" The brunette heard the other woman calling out for her. She didn't want to turn and look at the pity in Emma's eyes, so she just kept walking until a firm hand took hold of her wrist.

"Regina, please look at me." Emma said when the brunette didn't turn around, even when she grabbed her wrist.

"Miss Swan, I really don't need any kind of speech you might have so can we, for the love of God, pretend this didn't happen and continue with our lives?" Regina tried to to say in her regal voice but she didn't quite achieve that; instead, her voice was laced with hurt and defeat.

"You don't know what I was going to say." Emma said. Emma knew what the brunette was doing, it was a coping mechanism: distancing yourself from other in order to not get hurt.

"I assure you Miss Swan that-" Regina started but was cut from her rant by a pair of soft lips on hers. She audibly gasped while her brain was trying to process what was happening. Emma was kissing her! But it couldn't be true, but those soft lips felt so real that it was hard not to try to believe this was actually happening.

She didn't respond to the kiss, and when she tried to reciprocate Emma was already pulling away from her.

"What I was going to say, is that I would love to go on a date with you." Emma didn't know where this new found courage was coming from, but she was glad it did because there was no way she would waste the opportunity to go on a date with Regina.

Regina didn't know how to respond to that. "Why didn't you say that before? If this is some kind of pity of yours, please refrain yourself from doing so, Miss Swan." Regina snapped, because she couldn't understand as to why she as getting an affirmative answer when Emma had made it sound as if it was impossible to go on a date with her.

"Because I couldn't believe that you were actually asking me out. I've been trying to come up with the courage to ask you out but I convinced there was no way you would ever agree." Emma explained. "Because, I'm not good enough for the Queen you are, Regina. Not because you were the Evil Queen or whatever, but because you deserve the moon, the stars and everything in between. You deserve everything." Emma added, on a more sorrowful tone.

"Emma, I should be the one thinking that I'm not good enough for you. I was the Evil Queen, I basically destroyed your chance to grow up with loving parents and because of me, you had a real awful childhood." Regina replied in a softer tone. She cupped Emma's cheek and her heart filled with warmth when she noticed that Emma was leaning on her touch.

"You're no longer the Evil Queen. You've always been Regina to me and you know it. So, if the offer still stands, I would more than gladly accept going with you on a date." Emma said, gaining some courage.

"The offer still stands." Regina whispered and leaned to kiss Emma. She had never known that a kiss could feel that: loving, caring and so wonderful. Lips moved in sync, relinquishing in the feeling of the warmth that they provided. When the necessity for air became too much to ignore, they pulled back. Each women with a small smile on their faces, because they knew this was the start of something amazing.

Later that day, Mary Margaret received a simple 'Thank you' text from Regina; in that moment Emma came into the apartment with a smile that could lit up the world for a thousand days, and she saw how her daughter approached and gave her a tight hug, before whispering the words 'Thank you'; Mary Margaret couldn't be happier for the two women, for having given themselves the opportunity to be happy.

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 **Thank you for reading. If you liked the story, a little review would be appreciated. :)**


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